Two thugs who attacked a man looked “like two animals chasing their prey,” a judge said after CCTV of the incident was shown in court.

The victim was kicked and stamped on and he was left totally bewildered why he had been attacked in such an unprovoked way, Judge Niclas Parry told Mold Crown Court.

Dewi John Roberts, 25, of Penrhiw, Llanddoged, Llanrwst admitted a racially aggravated assault after “ugly and hateful” words were used to describe the victim.

Roberts received a 12 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, was ordered to carry out 250 hours, and he was made the subject of a three month curfew to keep him indoors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Co-defendant Nathan Wickham, 23, of Conwy Road in Llandudno Junction , admitted an assault with no racial element and he received a ten month prison sentence suspended for a year, 250 hours unpaid work and an alcohol programme.

Both were ordered to pay £530 prosecution costs. Roberts must pay the victim £500 compensation and Wickham £300 compensation.

Judge Parry told them: “This is the kind of street violence in the early hours of the morning that the public of North Wales are sick of seeing.

“They look to the courts to stamp it out. You committed these offences because you were utterly drunk.”

Roberts’ case was aggravated by the fact that it was racially motivated as shown by the hateful comments he had made to the victim.

It was, he said, a cowardly two on one attack against a man on the floor who was also drunk and unable to walk properly.

After viewing CCTV footage of the incident outside The Hidden Nightclub in Water Street, Rhyl , the judge told them: “You look like two animals chasing their prey.

“You put him to the floor and you kicked and stamped on him.”

It was a sustained and repeated attack in which they had effectively used their feet as weapons.

Roberts had a previous conviction for assault and only custody could be justified, he said.

The judge passed the prison sentences but only later in his sentencing remarks told the defendants that they would be suspended.

He said they had both pleaded guilty and made immediate admissions, both expressed remorse from the outset, and both accepted how disgusting their behaviour had been. Mercifully the injuries were not as bad as they could have been and both were in employment.

The court heard how there had been an incident inside the nightclub, the complainant had been ejected and as he walked away he was chased by the two defendants, thrown to the floor and repeatedly punched and kicked.

A woman who tried to help him heard Roberts making racist comments and the victim later said to her: “What did they do that for? I had not done anything wrong.”

The woman witness described what the defendants had done as a “sickening, cowardly and violent attack” when he was in no position to defend himself.

Both defendants had become upset when they later saw their actions on the CCTV film, explained prosecutor Emmalyne Downing.

Matthew Curtis, for Roberts, said that it was a serious, ugly assault and his client was disappointed with himself, was embarrassed and wished to apologise to the victim and to those who witnessed what went on.

He had been binge drinking and had since referred himself to an agency for help.

His problem with alcohol started in 2010 when his best friend was found dead in some woods. The defendant had a good job in construction, had good prospects and continued to study at Llandrillo College.

If he maintained his liberty he could pay compensation.

Elen Owen, for Wickham, said that her client received bruising in an incident inside the nightclub but he accepted that nothing justified what then occurred outside.

“What is seen on the CCTV is quite appalling and he is the first to accept that,” she said.

He lost control and got carried away in drink.

Wickham came from a respectable family, was a hard worker, and his father had returned from Australia temporarily to support his son and had written a reference on his behalf.

“My client has shown genuine and heart-felt remorse and was visibly upset when he saw the CCTV,” she explained.